1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards environmental charging systems for electric bomb fuzes and, more particularly, to a structural improvement and modification of a standard charging device for electric bomb fuzes which greatly increases the reliability thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,695 to Evan D. Fisher is illustrative of a presently utilized environmental charging system for electric bomb fuzes which has widely replaced the outdated and more complex external charging equipment previously required for providing electrical energy to the fuzing system of the bomb.
The environmental charging system disclosed in the Fisher patent basically comprises a slipstream-actuated charging device threadedly mounted within the former charging well located along the longitudinal periphery of the bomb surface. The standard charging device therein described includes a lanyard-operated pop-up cover which is released soon after the bomb is released from the aircraft. The pop-up cover, when fully extended, positions an inlet port thereof in the slipstream of air flowing along the longitudinal surface of the bomb. This slipstream of air is directed from the inlet port to actuate either a rotatable turbine or a fluidic generator for transducing the slipstream energy into electrical energy which is, in turn, transmitted to the fuze electronics positioned elsewhere.
The pop-up cover of the charging device necessarily includes an exhaust port through which the slipstream air is vented to atmosphere after use. As a safety feature, the exhaust vent is positioned at the lower portion of the pop-up cover such that the latter must be fully extended in order for the vent to clear the bomb surface and thereby create an open fluid conduit for the air to pass. This serves as a safety feature inasmuch as without full extension of the pop-up cover, which can only occur upon positive release and separation of the bomb from the aircraft, the device is not operable.
However, the structural positioning of the inlet and exhaust ports of the device set forth in the Fisher patent has led to several deficiencies. In particular, in the installation of the Fisher charging device it is absolutely necessary for successful operation for the inlet port to be positioned in the proper orientation relative to the nose and tail of the bomb. That is, the inlet port must be positioned in a direction facing the nose of the bomb to ensure that after release and actuation of the pop-up cover, the slipstream of air, which flows along the bomb's surface from the nose to the tail, is fully and properly admitted. Other orientations of the inlet port, particularly one in which it faces the tail of the bomb, was found to lead to possible duds due to the lack of admissible slipstream air, and therefore are unacceptable.
Inasmuch as the inlet and exhaust ports of the pop-up cover are not readily visible during installation of the Fisher charging device, since the pop-up cover is not yet extended, the personnel who install the devices on the bombs were found to be prone to misorienting the device with respect to the nose and tail of the bomb. Thus, there is a need for a charging device of the character described which obviates the possibility of duds in the event of accidental mis-installation or mis-orientation of the charging device.